Maple Leafs considering stripping John Tavares of captaincy per Insider

Kypreos revealed on Sportsnet today that the team is considering giving the captaincy to Auston Matthews. This is notable as the team was reportedly close to giving the captaincy to him last time, when they ultimately decided to give it to Tavares instead.

Changing captains does not generally have a huge impact on the way the team performs on the ice. However, Leafs fans seem to be open to the idea that Auston Matthews should be the next captain. Overall, the response to this news from Leafs fans seems to be generally positive.

Tavares certainly showed signs of age-related decline last season as well, which may be hurting his chances to remain the team's captain. He had 29 goals and 65 points, the lowest total he's had with the Leafs in a full season. In the playoffs he had just one goal and 2 points. Matthews is clearly the team's best player and the offense revolves around him. Why shouldn't he join the rest of the league's top players such as Connor McDavid in wearing the C? It seems like this is the very question Brad Treliving and the Leafs are asking themselves. Be sure to stay tuned to see if this change comes to Toronto.